(Another) THANK GOD FOR 3 WHEELS

[pro10is]

When I first got my RSS I was amazed at its go-cart like ability to swerve left and right so quickly. I've avoided many a pothole at the last second with it. I remember thinking you sure can't react that instantaneously on a motorcycle. I often practiced using its tight maneuverability in the event that I should ever need it, a lesson I learned from my motorcycle training class eons ago.

Well, on my way to work this morning I was cruising along on a beautiful country road at about 50mph (posted speed limit). Out of nowhere a teenage girl on a cell phone (of course) pulls out of her driveway nose first in a large pick up truck (must have been her dad's). I'm only about 200 feet away and closing fast. Instead of hitting the gas and getting out of the way, she simply freezes when she finally realizes she's pulled right into the path of an oncoming vehicle. Now I have a massive truck fully blocking the right lane with absolutely no time left to brake. There's a stone fence on my right so the only escape is to swerve into the left lane but I can see oncoming traffic coming fast. Without any time left to think I put my Sypder into a extreme left hand turn to run around the truck and then immediately into a steep right hand turn to avoid a head on. It was by far the most extreme maneuver I've ever put the Spyder through. It was all over in seconds. Instead of being obliterated, which I fully expected, I was looking at the open road and everything was fine (except my nerves).

It took a while to sink in but after going over the scenario again and again in my mind I realized that I could have never done that on a two wheeled motorcycle. I had developed considerable skills riding motorcycles for many years but I knew that maneuver was well beyond my expertise. To make an instantaneous severe left hand turn followed immediately by an steep right hand turn at about 50 mph on a typical motorcycle would have required the skills of a highly expert rider who knew how to scrape both pegs within seconds. I also don't think that particular maneuver could have even been done in a car. Only something as small, stable, and nimble as the Spyder could have pulled it off without a hitch without a skilled stunt driver.

So the next time you doubt why you gave up your motorcycle for this crazy machine know that it can do near miraculous maneuvers that can save your life.

[Papa]

Just glad it's you writing about this and not a news reporter documenting an unfortunate accident.

[spyder3]

glad you made it through

[warp10]

Glad you made it thru OK, guess you don't need that second cup of coffee at work now.

[Big Iron]

Continued Good Luck to You!!!

[Dustybell]

Wow! So glad you have good reflexes! So glad you are ok. I would have had to get clean clothes!

[SpyderAnn01]

for your driving skills and for the Spyder too.

[Dwanton]

great job !

as you said -- you learned to practice a couple senarios at speed just incase you need them .

i learned that if you do 80mph you should test and practice how to hit the brakes hard at 80mph. so you will already know what the machine is going to do if you have to lock the brakes up at 80mph.

in an open parking lot , test hard turns , back and forth turns and speed ups out of a turn -- all so you learn how your machine reacts .

[Luckyme]

Really glad to be hearing this from you, alive and well.

I truly believe that the most dangerous situation for all of us cage free drivers is the people yacking, searching, scrolling and playing with these cell phones while driving. Just look next to you, or around you while riding. Seems like 50% of drivers are fiddling with their phones while driving. STUPID! And teenagers....thats another subject about phones and driving.

A good friend of mine just got hit on his GL1800 from behind by a lady texting. He was stopped at a red light. Shot him and the Wing from 0-20 MPH in a milisecond, and strait through the intersection. He is OK, but strained his back and neck. Very lucky there was not cars coming through that intersection.

[Smokinspyder]

Glad to hear you are alive and only had to use your biker instincts.

[Grandpa Spyder]

I see these people everyday on their cell phones either talking or texting and not paying attention to what they are doing. We need a national law prohibiting the use of cell phones while operating a motor vehicle. I work a delivery job part time and it is really bad. The use of cell phones must stop it is very dangerous.

[spydaman60]

i might have turned the spyder around and given that girl a piece of my tongue seeing that she didn't get the rest of me! her parents might have appreciated it at some later date if she continues "to do unto others what she did to you."
the good guy upstairs was watching out for you. glad you've got him on your side.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

REALLY GLAD YOU MADE IT THROUGH THAT ONE BRO.....MIKE..

[bruiser]

Instinct and fear and help from above. Glad you're ok. Have you checked the seat for a crease?

[MikeinGA]

That was your test and you passed and failing is not a option. Good job!

Mike

[Bill Las Vegas]

Did you stop and have a "word" with the girl?

[Bob Denman]

The important thing is that you survived this needless close call!
Well... That and you cleaned all of the scale off of your arteries as your blood pressure went nuclear for a moment!

[Sarge707]

Glad your OK. I practise the 40-50 mph turns (Swerves) on the back roads regularly if no ones behind me.

[pro10is]

Did you stop and have a "word" with the girl?

You know that thought never crossed my mind. All I could think about was that I was so happy to still be alive.

I used to feel I had to teach every bad driver I encountered a lesson by letting them know I was angry. Then one day I came to the realization that it was impossible (and dangerous) to "educate" every idiot driver in the world and that I just had to deal with it and let it go.

[bruiser]

You know that thought never crossed my mind. All I could think about was that I was so happy to still be alive.

I used to feel I had to teach every bad driver I encountered a lesson by letting them know I was angry. Then one day I came to the realization that it was impossible (and dangerous) to "educate" every idiot driver in the world and that I just had to deal with it and let it go.

And in todays world a good idea to bide by. I was the same way until my wife told me that one day I was going to get shot. I didn't get shot but I too have learned to just go on and let the idiots make someone else angry.

[spydaman60]

i agree with you guys 110% but as a father of two girls (that might have done that at some point in their lives), believe me, i wouldn't fault anyone for giving them some advice and telling them just how stupid they were and what could have happened. you might just save someone elses life. you know what i mean?

[DR Buck]

i might have turned the spyder around and given that girl a piece of my tongue seeing that she didn't get the rest of me! her parents might have appreciated it at some later date if she continues "to do unto others what she did to you."
the good guy upstairs was watching out for you. glad you've got him on your side.

I'm afraid I might have turned around and took her cell phone from her and shoved it someplace not so nice.

[mrb]

Hi
This learner rider was caught by someone in a bus allongside, doing 80kmph and using both hands to text.

rider-texting.jpg